Game over...10-1 Storm...sog 40-23....Troops get a great hand from the crowd for their season but don't stick around to salute the crowd. This of course could be the last home game of the year. Three stars all from Guelph 1. Suter 2 Dickinson 3 Rychel. Off to the post game presser.....maybe should be called de-presser. Thanks for tuning in. Story to come soon. good night.
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Storm geet their 10th on PP...looks like finn from the point. 10-1 Storm. Storm still on 5-4 PP.for rest of the game. 1:00 left.
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Another Troops penalty...Praplan for cross-checking.,..and yet another....Troops completely losing composure, 5 0n 3 PP
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Praplan gets delay of game penalty. Storm on PP again.
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4:30 left...sog 38=22.....fans leaving en masse now,
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Attendance tonight 4,242...another sellout. Game 6 if needed has already sold out.
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Dickinson and Henriksson square off...both going to dressing room so expect both are getting misconducts. Good move by refs as this could easily get out of hand. Lots of room on Troops bench now.
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i'll say this...the fans have been great tonight, but ewith 8:00 left empty seats are appearing. Nick Paul gets Troops goal assisted by Lewis.
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OMG Troops score on the PP and crowd erupts....9:36 remaining but they break the goose egg. 9-1 Storm. Mid period break.
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Answer to earlier quiz...losingest coach in OHL playoff history according to the Battalion Communique....Stan Butler who has lost a record 81...make that 82 after tonight. Next closest is George Burnett who lost 76. Still Butler has appeared in 146 games, so still a record to be proud of. He sits 4th in league history. No OHL titles however.
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Penalty over...but damage done. Only question now,,,will they break into double digits?
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Blujus gets 2 for high sticking . Troops down 2 men. Rychel scores a PP goal. fight breaks out right in front of me by the press box. Cops grab guy in Praplan jersey and drag him out. 9-0 Storm.
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O'Neill remains in net for Troops...geez...Jarvis gets 5 minutes and a game for spearing just a minute in. That means Troops down 2 including thomson. Stom hits the post.
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3rd period underway.
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i think we are seeing thew Storm we expected all along tonight. they seem to have awoken from their slumber.
2nd period...Leslie, from Rychel and Fabbri 3:50
Dickinson from Kosmachuk 5:22
Fabbri from Pierog and Trojanovic 11:24
Bertuzzi from Rychel and Kosmachuk 18:11
Dickingson from Mitchell and Leslie 19:13.
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Period mercifully over...this is difficult to watch. sog 24-15....8-0...this my friends is a rout and the Troops show no signs of a comeback.
Here is the 2nd period scoring summary.
On second thought, I need a coffee....back in a minute.
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Ouch...Storm score on first shot on O'Neill...8-0.
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Scott Kosmachuk on a breakaway...passes to Bertuzzi, who spins and shootsd....he scores. 7-0 Storm. smith pulled for Brenden O'Neill who gets his first taste of the playoffs.
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Kyle Locke's birthday...think I know what he's like.
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Penalty coming to Storm...Rychel 2 for tripping.
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Green foam hats being tossed into the crowd. 4:35 left in 2nd.
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More bad news for Battalion....thomson got a 2 minute instigator...5 for fighting....10 minute misconduct and a game misconduct. He's a top line guy so will be missed by Paul and Goodrow. Horvat just gets 2 plus 5.
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8:04 left in period....6-0 Storm...sog 20-10 Storm.
Jarvis serving penallty to Goodrow,
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Thomson and Horvat go toe to toe...decision Thomson...that got the fans going....yhompson gets a big cheer as he leaves the ice for dressing room.
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Suter just misses getting his third....Fabbri scores.....6-0 Storm. Yikes....
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wow, passing by Gue is first class....another great save by smith. Should rename team Swarm instead of Storm.
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4 on 4 becaause of roughing penalties.Troops still playing their hearts out, but very much outplayed by this strong, speedy Guelph machine.
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Couple of fights break out...Troops frustratedBertuzzi and Goodrow get the gate.Fans urging troops on....fans haven't given up hope.
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blujus hurt by a high stick to the head...lying on ice....no call....wobbles back to the bench........Oh no....Storm scores again. 5-0. this has turned into a blowout for this sellout crowd.
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turnover at the blueline by Troops...Leslie picks it up and sskates to the slot....he scores. 4=0- storm.
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Troops look a bit better so far (2 mins), but its a start. cou[ple of good shots on Nichols. Need a big pushback, but it won't be easy. they need a spark...who will step up?
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When I asked Stan butler what he said to his players right after the game yesterday, he replied "Nothing" so not sure if he would have any words of wisdom for them after that trerrible first period.
Guelph has won two titles before, so gunning for their third.
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1st period over. sog 14-4 Storm. Here's a summary...Pius Suter from Nick Ebert and Tyler Bertuzzi at 4:24 on their third shot. then Scott Kosmachuk from Jason dickinson and Brock McGinn at 10:57, then Suter again....shorthanded frrom Zack Mitchell zat 14:16.
Play underway in the 2nd.
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Crowd silent...first 3 goal lead of the series...Troops also not getting bounces.
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Penalty over, no NB shots but give up a shortie. Storm skating at will....looking very strong.
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Mitchell in all alone and shoots, Smith saves it but loses it....Suter come and jams it past Smith....shorthanded. SOG 13-2. 3-0 Storm.
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Sorry, penalty to robby Fabbri....Sstorm score again.
Hendriksson and Finn square off...Finn to the box. PP Troops.
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shots 12-2, and that's indicative of the play. Storm coming in waves.
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Storm too fast...Troops can't keep up. Mid point break with 8:36 left in 1st.
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Storm sccore again...Scott Kosmachuk...thgis could get ugly fast.
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Oh oh Battalion in trouble here. smith another great save on a point-blank shot by Storm. shots 8-2.
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you could feel that coming....Storm skating swiftly...5-2 shots. skuffle in front of NB net....but sticking to hockey so far. No penalties yet.
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Storm score..looksd like Suter rebound off the boards. 1-0 storm.
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Rychel looking very dangerous again tonight. four minutes gone, no NB shots yet.
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Battalion looking nervous....Storm beating them to the pucl....shots 3-0 Storm.
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First sog to Storm.
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Lisa Benoit her usual fine job of the anthem. Ready to rumble. Troops win faceoff.
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Lots of fans brought their white towels from last night. Crazy loud as Troops line up for anthem .Crowd chanting Go Troops Go. Guelph #1 rated team in OHL looks ready. We'll soon see.
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Goalie Jake Smith has a goals against average of 2.20 and save % of .915. storm goalie Justin Nichols has a gaa of 2.70 and save % of .919.
Tank is inflated...Sarge is out with the 7th man flag...deafeningly loud in here.....and here come the Troops. Time for tghe earplugs.
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Barclay Goodrow leads the Troops with 13 goals and 10 assists in 20 games, so better than a point per game. Defenceman Brenden Miller is a surprising 2nd with 18 points (3-15), and centre Nick Paul is 3rd with 16 points (10-6)
Normally reliable Vincent Praplan has not had a good playoff with only 4 points in 19 games and a minus 1.
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Warmup over. Game 15 minutes away.
In the first 3 games, the team that sccored first lost....so maybe an early Storm goal would be a good thing.....nah! Let's hope Jake smith continues his strong play. I'm expecting guelph has found their legs, so the Troops will be hard-pressed. will take a real team effort.
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Refs are Garrett Rank and Kendrick Nicholson.
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Starting in goal, as usual Jake Smith. Up front Ben Thomson - Nick Paul - Barclay Goodrow....Zach Bratina - Mike Amadio - Matt MacLeod...Vincent Praplan - Brett McKenzie - Alex Hendriksson...Connor Jarvis - Jamie Lewis - Matt Santos.
On d...Brenden Miller - Kyle Wood...Dylan Blujus - Marcus McIvor...Miles Liberati - Kyle Locke.
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Other Battalion scratches...Evan Cormier, Shawn Tessier,Mikie Baird, Jared Steege and Calvin Gomes.
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I had mentioned yesterday that we had a sound meter up in the press box. It peaked at 115 decibels, which apparenbtly is like putting yourn ear next to a chain saw. Teams are on the ice now warming up...Storm in white, Troops in green.
Interesting that defenceman Riley Bruce is a scratch tonight. I thought he played well the last couple of games.
Game 5 is Friday at 7 p.m. in Guelph. You can come to the Gardens and watch it on the big screen for 5 bucks.
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Tailgate party packed with fans. great coming to the rink tonight and be greeted with that BBQ smell. Here's an interesting fact, trivial pursuit if you will, to start us off. Which coach is #1 in playoff OHL losses all-time. Answer later.
Game starts in 1/2 hour.
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Chris Dawson and I will be covering the contest for Baytoday.ca. things are quiet at the rink right now....calm before the storm....ha,ha.
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Welcome to game 4. Big question, can the Troops rebound from the stunning loss yesterday. 45 minutes to game time.
